


And then there was you

by LittleRed (Beautifulmoiety)



Series: Other things we never knew we needed [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: 17 is the legal age of consent in new york I googled it please do not hate me for that, Abuse Themes, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Deceptions, Depression, IT'S FICTION, Iron Dad, M/M, Manipulation, Tony is sad, can't trust anyone, convenient truths, spider son, there will be angst, tony's parents are dead
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-02
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-04-06 10:09:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19060525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beautifulmoiety/pseuds/LittleRed
Summary: In the end it was always going to lead to this. Two choices lay in front of him, one would leave the world as it now was, colorless and without life; the other would bring back the one thing that had ever brought him any form of comfort, but he wouldn't live to see him again. Everyone knew which he would choose, it was obvious. They had known since they met him that if push were ever to come to shove Peter would be his answer no matter what. He'd been his answer when he'd taken that missile through the portal and he would be his answer now. If it meant Peter would live to see another day then Tony would do anything to make it happen.





	1. introspection

**Author's Note:**

  * For [NudeScientist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NudeScientist/gifts).



> Hello it is me again, I know you must hate me by now and I understand your feelings, which are valid, however I have come bearing a gift! I truly hope to finish this project and with the help of my lovely beta reader I think we may just see that happen.   
> Anyways I'd like to start with an apology, this will most probably be a very hard fic to not only read but write. I have feeling it will leave you feeling somewhat dissatisfied with a few people. I have a vague awareness of where I want this to go and so I hope that you decide to strap in and ride this out 'til the end. I can already tell you it will come with a few twist, some that will leave you in a foul mood, which is why a squeal will definitely be needed.   
> Alright I'll leave you with one last thing, I hope to update every third week. I know it's odd but it mainly so I can keep a few chapters ahead and not rush anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi yeah, so I've already started editing the story again even though there's only one chapter cause I had an idea and i'm kind of gonna roll with it. So this is kind of going to be split up into a series and then added into a collection of short stories too that'll just give a little more incite, or like added shit, idk what to call it honestly. Anyways working on chapter 2 now.

Tony’s life had not been going as planned. After graduating college at age seventeen Tony got caught up in all the glitz and glam of fame, the kind of fame that comes with being the genius son of one of America’s leading inventors. He’d always lived in the shadow of his father’s company. Most notably the shadow of America golden boy Captain America. He was all anyone ever seemed to care about including his father. The way his father spoke about Captain Rogers made it seem as though the very breath that man took had been made of some magical bullshit. Nothing Tony did ever seemed to be of any interest in comparison to the Captain, even though he'd been lost after crash landing a plane at the end of World War II that didn’t mean he’d left the hearts of the people who had known him, and Tony’s father was no exception. 

Living in such a shadow had been hard on Tony and eventually the toll it took became too great and Tony broke under the pressure of all the pent up emotions. He became the country's favorite wild child. Soon his name became synonymous with religious parties that took on a life of their own, he was always high, drunk, or well fucked and people came from all over just to get a taste. Men, women all grabbing for his attention. Looking for an in, their chance at spotlight. The artificiality of it all became something Tony craved because it was a way to mask the pain he felt. Nothing he did ever caught the attention of his father and if it did all he got was that same unimpressed stare he always did. 

By the time December of ‘91 had rolled around there wasn’t much left of the boy Tony had been. He was just another junkie looking for a fix, hiding in open spaces and numbing his existence with whatever vice he could. Tony had never felt more like a failure, and it was with that thought that he let go. He didn’t answer the phone when his mother called to make plans for Christmas, not that he could have known it would have been the last call she would make. 

When Tony woke up on the 17th of that month he had one hell of a hangover. The woman- wiat girl from the night before passed out beside him, all thin curves and disheveled brown hair fanning out around her. She couldn't have been more than seventeen. Feeling sick at the thought and from the alcohol having yet to leave his system Tony stumbled into the bathroom. Looking in the mirror he was met with a ghostly pale, hollow version of himself. His distressed state was something he’d gotten used to. He paid no mind to the splotches on his skin, the dull sheen over his eyes, the ever growing frown lines and the eyebags. Tony Stark was a bachelor that played all night and recouped all morning. His mirror showed him nothing new. He continued to the toilet where he proceeded to dry heave having eaten nothing but shrooms the night before.

He relished the feeling of his head on the cold porcelain until a noise interrupted his peace. The sound of voices, some he knew, some he didn’t making their way through the mess that had to be the house he’d rented for the party. They became considerably louder outside the door of the room he’d camped out in last night. Feeling helpless and trapped he tried to put on a brave face as he sauntered out into the bedroom only to be met with the sleeping girl again. A sickness unlike any that he’d ever known passed over him, making him stumble as the door swung open on the scene. There stood his dear Aunt Peggy dressed as she always was in her skirt suits with her hair in that same impeccable 40’s due she’d always worn. A style she wore long before he’d known her.

He could remember hearing gossip as a kid about Peggy keeping it what way just in case a lost love ever came back. Hearing those rumors had hurt Tony. The idea of feeling so deeply for someone who had left them had always left a sour taste in his mouth. Sometime ago he’d tried to talk her into a new hair cut but she’s been firm in her insistence that she liked her hair as it was.

Unable to help himself, Tony smiled brightly at the woman who had always felt like home in a way he could never explain. 

“Anthony.” The scolding tone of her voice did little to ease his nerves but he pushed through nonetheless. If anything, Tony was a master of bullshitting. Even though he hated disappointing his Dear Aunt. He’d smile and joke along because it was how he coped.

“Margaret, darling, it’s been too long.” He sighed picking up what he could of his pride, but watching it shatter to pieces as Peggy surveyed the room her eyes landing on the sleeping girl tangled in the unmade sheets of the only bed in the room. Tony knew the implications, and couldn’t even begin to deny them seeing as he himself hadn’t managed to put on more than his underwear. The blush that bloomed on his face was not one of embarrassment more than it was of shame. Fiery, red hot shame at undeniable evidence of how far he’d fallen, and in the face of one of the only people who had ever held Tony to any standard. He couldn’t face her. Not like this. 

“Clean yourself up.” The cold, hollowness of her voice sent a pang of regret through Tony. His parents had never seen him like this. They had kept their distance when he’d begun to act out, and now he knew why. Seeing it made it real. Hearing about it made it easy to ignore but seeing it, that was something else entirely. Seeing Aunt Peggy’s face put it all in perspective. Tony had fucked up badly, but this was only one of many mistakes. “We’ll take care of this.” 

And they did. They took care of everything. The only thing they couldn’t fix was Tony parents. When he had found out later that day why Aunt Peggy had come to find him, he’d broken in a way no one could have prepared for. He was truly empty this time. Without the drugs and alcohol to cloud his system and fill him with life there was nothing. Now he felt the pressures of his decisions more than anything. His lifelong struggle to impress his father. To make his mother accept him. There was nothing now. No drugs in his system to hide behind. No warm bodies to heat the coldness in his heart. He let himself wallow in the abyss of being alone for a year. Then he just stopped and had not taken a break since. 

Tony threw himself head first into his career, taking over Stark Industries and building his own legacy. He worked tirelessly for months on end in order to perfect his debut into the world as his own man. When it came time for his resurgence he found that the people had not forgotten his passed misgivings. Even with the taste of success so sweet he had found it hard to deal with overwhelming negatively. 

The final nail in the coffin was the baby scandal. A woman Tony had no memory of ever meeting came to light stating that her child was the product of a night she’d spent with Tony. Soon women from all over the country took to the media revealing their pregnancies and children claiming he was the father.

Not everyone was too keen on giving DNA samples when asked by Tony’s lawyer, but the ones that didn’t oppose found themselves out of luck almost immediately. Not a single child was a match. With that behind him Tony had thought there was nothing anyone could do to ruin his success, until Peter


	2. Beginnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi so I'm that bitch and I fucking edited the first chapter, what's up, what's good. Catch me there fam. Honestly yeah, go read that note and then the chapter again if you want, the meat of it's the same but there's definitely and difference in places.   
> Also hello early update. I was excited.

“And what about the father?” Aunt May asked. It was what she had insisted on being called when the Social Services woman had introduced them. 

“You’re kidding right?” May had been trying for months to get Mary to spill on who the father of her unborn child was but the teen was stubborn, much more stubborn than any of the kids May had fostered before. 

“No Mary, I’m not, you can’t do this by yourself and in a few weeks you’ll be on the streets. I don’t want to see you like that, and I don’t want that to be the life your son comes into. You know who the father is, would it really be so bad if you reached out?” Aunt May truly was a saint. When CPS brought Mary to the Parker’s house she hadn’t known what to expect. After just a week it had already begun to feel like the home she never had home. The thought of having to leave was daunting. Fueling the fire, CPS had placed her there temporarily while they waited for her eighteenth birthday, on the condition that she leave to find her own place afterwards. When Mary had found out she was pregnant, she tried to sneak off without May or Ben noticing in order to take care of it. Before she could leave the neighborhood she had been stopped by a little boy on the sidewalk looking for his mother. It had broken her heart to see the fear in his eyes, but it had also changed her mind. 

Even though Mary herself had never had a strong familial connection with her parents it had always been something she’d longed for. Without thinking too heavily on it Mary had helped the boy find his mother before going back to the Parkers house, where she found May freaking out on the phone with Ben asking if he knew where she had gone. Emotions, the likes of which Mary had never felt before, flooded her. No one had ever cared for her the way May and Ben did. That night had been filled with more crying than words. Each woman raw with emotion, both terrified, but with enough courage between them to hold the other up. 

Mary had never planned for it, not that she had any grand plan for her life. After all she’d been through there hadn’t been much motivation, or excitement when if came to thoughts of the future. Now, however, Mary had never felt more anticipation for what would come next. So many scenarios filled her mind about what her son would look like, how his life would be. Though it was hard to admit, she knew May was right. There was no way that Mary could give little Peter the life he deserved without his father, just another downside of being a teen-mom. 

“Okay, so you may be right, but even if I told you you wouldn’t believe me, and there’s no possible way that he remembers me either.” Mary conceded. 

“That’s a risk we will just have to take. Now, Mary please, who is he?” May pleaded with her. 

“After everything he’s been through this year I don’t see how adding on to it with this will help anything.” Mary knew she was stalling as did May who gave her a pointed look. She was going to miss these moments with May. “Tony Stark.” She whispered looking anywhere but at May who balked at the name. 

“And you’re sure he’s the one.” May asked hesitantly. 

“The only one.” Mary hated saying it. She had kept it a secret for as long as possible, not wanting to admit that the first time she had had sex was because she was white girl wasted at a party. 

“Oh.” Was all May had to say. 

“Yeah.” Came as Mary’s only answer. 

“Okay well, we just have to figure out how to get in touch with him then.” May’s optimism hadn’t diminished at all. 

“Because that’s so easy.” Mary rolled her eyes. 

“And why not?” 

Honestly, Mary should have seen this coming. Leave it to May to find a way. The saying you should never underestimate a woman on a mission was true after all Mary mused, feeling her gut twists itself in knots the longer they sat in the cold lobby of Stark Industries. The barren white walls reflecting the harsh fluorescent lights and washing out the room further. Nothing about the space was inviting and the chairs were horribly uncomfortable. The space only served to set Mary’s nerves on edge. None of the breathing techniques that the birthing books talked about seemed to help take the edge off either, which left Mary tense next to May who seemed cool as a cucumber. 

“How are you not freaking out?” Mary whispered in order to keep the atmosphere created by the receptionist sitting behind an overly large desk set against the only wall with any kind of decoration. Just a simple sign stating Stark Industries. 

“Because I’m not a pregnant seventeen year old, waiting to speak with a highly influential man who I need to convince that he is the father of the child I’m carrying.” Mary glared at May as she looked around the room, even though it was only the three woman hearing May say it out loud had spooked Mary. 

“You can’t just say that!” Mary hissed to May grabbing her elbow and pulling gently. 

“And why can’t she isn’t that what you are here for?” The voice that spoke had the same tenor it did in the tv interviews but there was something distinctly different about it’s tone. Fear gripped at Mary’s heart as it began to beat out of her chest as if trying to escape the confines and make a new home elsewhere. May’s eyes rose to the man standing where there had been a closed door moments ago. Mary watched May’s reaction as she tried to steady herself enough to face him again. Mary knew what she had signed up for when she’d gone with him that night in December with the man behind her, but the idea of once again facing him made her sick to her stomach. Gathering what little courage she could Mary turned to look at him. 

There in the doorway stood Anthony Stark, the dark circles under his eyes were the same as the ones he’d had when they’d first seen each other. Besides those everything else about him had changed. His cheeks where no longer shallow caverns, with an ugly yellow hue, but full and ruddy. He looked stronger, healthier than he had then. It was unexpected to say the least. As Mary took in his appearance Tony did the same for her. The same brown hair he remembered was no longers unruly, her slender curves filled out with the weight of carrying a child. She looked the same as she did the morning he’d first met her. The morning he would always remember. 

“You.” The word came out as no more than a breath, but the shock carried in it rang loud and clear in the room. 

“I-I, I-” Mary tried to find the words. 

“I remember you.” Tony spoke silencing any response Mary could have come up with. “December 17th. You were there that morning.” Recognition hit him like a truck as he stumbled back a few steps. 

“Tony?” The soft voice what followed his was familiar to Mary more so than Tony’s was. 

“Agent Carter?” Mary asked feeling a little dumb for not having realized her connection to Tony before. 

“Ms. Fitzpatrick?” Peggy questioned looking between the three people in the lobby and ignoring the receptionist who was doing her best not to interfere with what had to seem like a sense out of a soap opera. Agent Carter looked the same as she had the day she’d taken Mary back to her foster family's house. Understanding began to settle into the lines of the woman’s face as she took in the situation. “You believe Tony is the father then?” She asks, trying her best to sound comforting. 

“He has to be.” Mary states, irrationally feeling attacked at the question. “He’s the only person I ever-” She trailed off looking to the ground. Tony made a strangled noise at the admittance. 

“Oh.” Peggy’s response was the same as May’s but with a different tone as she recoiled as the defensiveness laced through Mary’s words. 

“Yeah, oh, but go ahead and judge me like all the other harlots.” Mary sassyed once again looking toward Peggy and Tony who had taken up shelter behind the aging woman. 

“I didn’t mean it like that.” Peggy back tracked turning toward Tony who looked terrified and off in his own world behind her, before he gathered himself with a calming breath.

“So you want money right?” The statement struck Mary like a slap to the face. The tone he used brought her back to the room she’d been forced into as a child when her dad would become cruel. His sneer burned into her mind bring fiery anger with it. 

“No I don’t want your fucking money.” She spits, venom dripping in her tone, catching Tony off guard. Turning to May as she stood Mary whispers- “I knew we shouldn’t have come, but you couldn’t just leave it be.” Tears had come to her eyes uninvited, as she made for the door without looking to check May was following her. 

“This is so fucking stupid.” Mary mumbled to herself as she stood outside the towering building feeling smaller than she had in a very long time. Memories of wanting to feel important, if even for a second came to her. All the silly parties, hours spent trying to catch the attention of some boy who she’d mess with only to leave him aching. Wanting to just feel something, anything but hollow. Wiping at her eyes aggressively she began to walk away from the building trying to forget the feelings, the numbness she’d learned to ignore. 

She didn’t make it more than two blocks before a blacked out SUV pulled up next to her, the back window rolling down to show Tony sitting in the seat watching her walk. The car followed her like this for another block before Tony spoke. “Is this how you deal with every argument?” It was meant to sound conversational, but with all the hormones running through Mary’s system everything felt like another threat.

“What does it fucking matter to you?” She didn’t hold back letting the full range of her pain over take her. 

“Just asking,” He sat in silence for a moment after that. “I used to be the same way, but Peggy’s stubborn, you’ll learn that too, she doesn’t just let me get away with anything which is both a blessing and a curse. Anyways, why don’t you get in the car and we can go back and talk?” 

“No.” She shook her head, feeling childish but unable to care at the moment. The sigh that came from Tony gave her back the confidence she had lost. 

“Look I really don't want to deal with this. Can we just talk like adults?” He pleads. 

“I’m not an adult.” Mary tossed back carelessly, but once she’d caught up with herself she realized her mistake causing her to trip slightly. 

“Jesus,” Tony hissed as the brakes screeched to a halt and he jumped out, helping Mary stabilize herself. “I didn’t need the reminder, thanks.” He says leading her to the open car door before she stops them looking at Tony. 

“I really didn’t mean to-” Tony cuts her off. 

“Yeah, I get it, you were feeling like a badass and it went to your head. We’ve all been there.” He grimaced before helping her into the car. 

“So have you calmed down now?” May asked as they re-entered the building Tony just a step behind Mary afraid she might try to fall again. 

“I honestly don’t think I’ll ever be calm again. Why did no one ever tell me that begin pregnant sucked?” Mary asked trying to lighten the mood. 

“Because then you wouldn’t have gotten pregnant.” Tony supplied. 

“You do realize I didn’t mean to right? I only slept with you to feel important.” Her voice started out strong but faltered near the end. 

“Don’t beat yourself up about it.” Tony assured. “I was doing the same thing in my own way.” The smile that graced his face was a sorrowful one. It reminded Mary that they each had their reasons for being at that party that night, meaning that they had more in common than she originally thought. 

“I guess that’s true. We were both running from something, the only question now is are we going to keep running?” Mary asked running a hand over the small bump that had grown from her abdomen in the recent months.


	3. Apologizing sucks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got excited again.

“What are you suggesting we do?” Tony asked feeling out of his depth as Mary’s hand came to rest just under her belly. 

“Are we going to be the parents Peter deserves, or are we going to run away like children?” She could feel the anger welling up in her as she stood there. 

“You want to raise the kid? Like together?” He asked, feeling the eyes of the two older woman in the room on him. He didn’t dare look at them keeping his focus on Mary, because he knew if he did all he would see is shame in Peggy’s eye and disgust in the other woman’s. 

“Yes, I want to keep my son, but I can’t do that without your help.” Mary sighed looking at herself and picturing the little boy that would be there in a little under six months. 

“You’ve already named it too.” Tony threw his hands up incredulously, knowing he’d already lost half the battle. 

“He is not an it, Mr. Stark. He is Peter and Peter deserves to live a happy life.” Mary’s voice was strong and confident as she stood up to the famed Playboy. 

“She’d right Anthony. You can’t just pretend this never happened.” Peggy interrupted. “Maybe we should all just take some time to think about this.” She suggested trying salvage what she could. In the end it had been four hours since May and Mary had walked into the building and as they left Tony was only filled with more anxiety than he’d had before he knew about the boy growing in Mary. 

That night he couldn’t shake off thoughts of their talk. Uncertainty stained his every emotion. With the childhood Tony had grown up with it wasn’t hard to see where the hesitation came from. What kind of father could he be when he’d never had a father himself, he thought as he got ready for bed. As he lay down for the night whispers of guilt danced in the fog of his mind before finally allowing sleep guide him into yet another dream. This dream however was different and quite a few way, on any other night Tony would ‘wake’ in this imaginary world where he would be greeted by his parents. These dreams had become common and even anticipated over the months, but this dream held little familiarity. 

Tony ‘woke’ into the illusion, bright sunlight filtering in through sheer curtains as dawn broke on the horizon. A seemingly endless expanse of water disappeared somewhere far off in the distance. High pitched giggling mixed nicely with a deeper timber behind a door to his side before an excited little boy burst through, his smile as wide and unending as the ocean outside the window. His eyes a deep inviting brown, with flecks of gold that catch the light in such an engaging way it was hard not to hold the eye contact, so hard in fact that Tony didn’t even notice who else had entered the room with him. 

When Tony did eventually wake up the next morning it was those big doe eyes that stayed with him. There was something so familiar about them, and the fondness that had so easily been expressed through them only added to the odd fluttering feeling that had taken up residency in Tony’s chest. As he sat across from his therapist a few days later it was those eyes that dared him to talk about the possibility of being a father. 

“So Doc, I’ve not been completely honest with you. Last time we talked you asked if anything new has happened in my life and I have to say I personally hadn’t ever thought about it before myself, but you know life always seems to that lifey thing it does where it decides it hasn’t fucked with you enough, right?” He asked even though he didn’t wait for an answer. “So anyways, that girl, the one I told you about from that morning-” He trailed off. 

“The morning you found out your parents had died.” She supplied, Tony hated it but he also realized it was part of her job seeing as she was trying to help him come to some kind of understanding with what happened. 

“Yeah that.” They were still working on Tony being able to talk about it. “She showed up the other day, pregnant, and like you know how fucked I am. She wants me to be a dad, but that’s crazy right? Right? How can I be a dad! Does no one understand that I am not some miracle worker? How am I supposed to be a dad right? You agree, of course, because like I’m not suitable.” Tony deflated near the end, his loud bravado fading near the end an undesirable look on his face. 

“Is that why you’re here? You want me to tell you that you don’t deserve to be a father because yours wasn't the father you’d hoped he’d be?” She asked patiently. 

“No, I want you to help me come up with an answer for her. She isn’t going to just give up.” Tony was beginning to sound distressed. 

“Well is my answer wasn’t good enough what answer do you want?” Dr. Williamson was really starting to get on Tony’s nerves. 

“Look I just want an answer that makes sense.” He groused. 

“So you’re admitting that your answer doesn’t make sense?” Her statement, phrased more like a question, made Tony face fall slack. He hadn’t thought of that, but now that she pointed it out he could see had true it was. He’d been asking for someone to help him understand why everything he was thinking and feeling was so confusing, but now he could see, it was only confusing because it’s not actually what he wanted.

Later that same day Tony found himself parked outside of the Parker’s residence feeling like the biggest fucking tool. With all his years of experience in making mistakes one might think he’d learned how to swallow his pride and say sorry, some would even venture as far as to believe that he had majored in apologies, however this was not the case. Even now, with everything he’d done he still found it hard to put aside his ego and admit his wrongs. And so he stood there waiting for the courage to come to him to walk up the small cracked sidewalk. 

As he stood there his mind supplied him with small fantasies of how those sidewalks had become so well used. All the children who had ran up and down this street screaming and laughing. Those eyes came back to him as he stood there, hazel irises that he longed to study at length. Before he could find it in him to walk up to the door the door opened allowing Tony a glimpse of May. 

“Can I help you?” She asked through the screen door. 

“I’m not good at apologies, which must come as a shock to you, but rest assured at some point I’ll find the right words, but until then don’t mind me, I’ll just be lurking creepily in front of your house.” Tony rambled finding comfort in unnecessary words. 

“Or you could come inside and just say you’re sorry.” May suggested laughing breathily. 

“Or I could do that. Whatever you say May-flower.” Tony flushed. “I- uh- when I get nervous-”

“No need to worry.” She assured. The Parker’s house looked like the model used for what a good nuclear families house should look like. It reminded Tony of memories he’d never made and yet they felt familiar in a strange way, all the feelings they evoke were minicks of one’s he’d seen in movies. Nostalgia swept over him as he looked around the living room at all the common place things you’d expect to see in an aging couples home. Porcelain dolls lined the shelves of china cabinets with special commemorative plates filled out the background obscuring the dull wood backing. Everything about their home screamed American suburb in such a wholesome way that made Tony’s heart ache. This is how grandparents houses are supposed to feel. There should be an air of respect and authority that mixes pleasantly with acceptance and love. They should feel familiar and safe, which is exactly how May and Ben’s house felt, only it’s not something Tony’s ever experienced before. 

His grandparents were unconventional as were his parents, even growing up when he did they never had any of these “normal” things. Eventually Tony had come to believe that all these things were made up for the movies, however he now realized they were only used to give the movies a sense of relatability. It’s warm in the Parker’s home, as he looks around taking everything in he notices how it all seems to come together seamlessly as if it were staged, but Tony knows that you can only get this sense of belonging only from years of careful work. 

“It’s not much.” May says as she watches the millionaire take in her house. 

“You’re wrong.” He whispers, still enraptured with the living room and unable to fathom what the rest of the house must look like. 

“Excuse me?” May asked, not understanding him. 

“I don’t mean to be rude, but this May, this is a home, which makes it much more than you give it credit for.” Tony stands with his hands in his pockets, feeling doubt settle in his chest, and an anxiousness overtake him. A scared voice whispers to him about how out of place he is in this space. May looks around herself, a thoughtful look on her face as she tries to imagine what Tony must be seeing that she doesn’t. A thought comes to her as she takes in the bubbling wallpaper, Tony’s never had a place where he truly felt at home. It’s a sad realization that awakens a protectiveness from with in May and opens a new space in her heart for the man in front of her. 

“You know, Tony,” May says moving to stand next to him and take his hand. “This can be a home for you too.” The way Tony’s head turns as he regards her, watching as she takes his hand break her heart. The gentle surprise he expressed at being handled so delicately speak volumes about the life he’s lived. 

“I’d like that.” He admits, tears in his eyes. 

“Tony?” Mary questions from the stairs as a creak sounds loud in the room from the banister. 

“Hey.” He tries to cover the emotion in his voice but fails.

“What are you doing here?” She asks coming all the way down and into the living room herself. 

“Well I went to my therapist and she said I was a fucking idiot, sorry May, and that I needed to get my shit together, so here I am getting my shit together I guess. And you know I’m really bad at doing this, so like it’d be super nice if you wouldn’t judge me cause I’m actually seriously fragel. Also I don’t know what you’re expecting from me with all this so I think you need to give some kind of idea-” He rambled, his face going red from embarrassment, before Mary stopped him.

“Tony, get to the point.” She pushed. 

“Yeah, right okay, so like I’m sorry?” He answered. 

“Is that a question?” The way Mary crossed her arms giving him an unimpressed look. 

“Yes?” Tony stammers feeling completely unlike himself in that moment. 

“So you aren’t sure you’re sorry?” Mary looks ready to leave which causes fear to grip Tony’s heart painfully. 

“I’m not sure about a lot of things. I am never completely sure about anything I do, especially not now. I mean there is a whole other life on the line here not just ours how can we be certain about anything. Honestly the only thing I know is that it would be remiss if we didn’t at least try to do this right. I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t try to give Peter a better life than I had.” He rambles trying to make Mary understand where he’s coming from. A sneaky smile twitches up over Mary’s lips as if she tried to hold herself back. 

“You’re naming him now? Don’t you know that’s how you get attached.” The teasing tone clears the room of any of the tension that had still been hanging around. 

115 days worth of polaroids all compiled into one big photo album, each with their own little description of how Mary had felt that day. They kept it as a sort of visual journal for Peter to someday look back on, Tony had insisted on it. He’d also insisted that Peter be kept out of the limelight for as long as possible which Mary had gladly agreed to. As it has a habit of doing time marched on and the months went by quickly. Before they’d known it both Tony and Mary were yet another year older and a month closer to their son. 

After a few small arguments Tony and May had convinced Mary to move into a townhouse, though she had insisted on being the one to choose where they live which Tony had reluctantly agreed to. In all honestly the small brown stone she’d chosen wasn’t nearly as bad as Tony had anticipated it to be. It was quaint in the way you read about with a small front area meant for a garden which Mary had already begun to plan out, while the back consists of a small rectangle of concert that Tony loathed. The moment they’d closed on the house Tony had set out to make the backyard a place her could play with Peter. It had taken so careful consideration and many meetings with city planning committees as well as a few donations made but eventually Tony had gotten his way. He decided the best way to keep with privacy was to make the backyard into a kind of atrium so Peter could play in the sun while no prying eyes could see him. 

Mary didn’t care what Tony did as long as she got the nursery she’d always wanted. Apparently Mary had spent some time looking through catalogues that May had signed her up for, though Tony couldn’t find it in himself to care all that much about the money being spent because as the room came together the reality of their situation became all the more real. As the baby shower rolled around Tony was in high gear doing everything he could to get ready for the boy, he was so out of his mind that he didn’t even notice Rhodey showing up. He honestly couldn’t remember who invited him either. 

“Tones.” His friends voice had surprised him, making him jump around like an idiot. 

“Rhodes?” The breathy disbelieving way he said his friends name brought a smile to the mans face. 

“Good to see you too.” The man smiled and pulled him in and Tony just went with it. 

“What are you doing here?” He asked. 

“I don’t know if you’re aware but you’re having a kid, which I would have liked to have found out from you but what can you do, right. Anyways Peggy called me told me when the shower was and since I had leave coming up I pushed it a week and came to see my best friend.” He answered. 

“I- It’s good to see you Rhodes, really, I’m glad you’re here. Do you, I mean- do you wanna see his room?” Tony asked feeling excitement bubble up in him at the prospect of being able to share this with Rhodey. 

“Obviously.” Rhodey responded enthusiastically. That weekend he got to spend with Rhodey was exactly what he needed. It calmed him and brought him back to himself, enough that he could think. He’d even gotten Mary to agree to make Rhodey Peter's godfather. Everything was right on track with what the doctors had told them to expect, that was until a week later when Mary went into labour. 

She knew going into this that there would be pain unlike anything she ever knew before, however she had not been as prepared for the pain as she had assumed. She now knew why mothers made such a big deal about labour and birth and could sympathize all too well with their stories. It was hideous and gross, really a traumatizing experience both for herself and Tony. At first Mary had been weary of allowing Tony be in the birthing room but now she found comfort in the soft words he was speaking even as she screamed crushing his hand within hers. The panic in his voice and the frenized look in his eyes reminded her that she wasn’t alone in this and it soothed some of the nerves. 

When they arrived at the hospital they had all assumed it would just be false labour again. Mary had been experiencing symptoms of labour for about a month but hadn’t shown any signs other than the contractions, but upon further investigation it was found that Peter had decided today would be his day. As the hours ticked by everything seemed to be going well until a nurse noticed that Peter’s umbilical cord had wrapped around his neck. For obvious reasons the new parents began to freak out, even the ever composed Peggy’s masked slipped for a brief moment before she pulled herself together enough to ask the hard question. 

“So he needs to come out, but how?” She’d commanded the attention of everyone in the room with her strong voice and calm attitude. 

“Carefully.” The doctor had answered before yelling for the nurses to prepare for an emergency c-section. 

It took another thirty minutes before Peter entered the world with the most beautiful wail Tony had ever heard. His tiny hands balled into angry fists as he screamed at the loss of his mother's warmth. Everything about him was perfect from the mess of hair plastered to the top of his head to his petite toes which flexed ever now and again. The nurses took him gingerly from Mary who had done an amazing job and cleaned him before wrapping him in a swaddle and a little beanie and handing him back. 

Tony couldn’t fathom the emotions that gripped him watching his baby boy open and close his mouth, his eyes not opened yet. His little nose scrunched up in the most adorable way reminding him of the woman he would call mom someday. He didn’t notice the tears that ran down his face or the soft hand that came to sit on his shoulder, all his attention focused on the bundle of pure joy that was Peter. Surprisingly he wondered if this is how his father had felt when he’d been born. If his father had had to hold back from yelling in his joy at the birth of his son. 

Before long, Peter was being passed to Tony, making it the first time Tony would hold him. Without realizing it himself Tony sucked in a breath, holding it in as the baby was placed in his arms. The boy squirmed a bit as he settled and began to sleep again, letting out a final little noise as he did. The nurse who had handed the boy to him then turned to Mary who, although exhausted from her day long labour was still wide awake taking in every one of Peter’s first moments, and began filling out his birth certificate. 

“Have you decided on a name?” She asked, knowing that in some cases the parents hadn’t finalized a name before coming to the hospital, and she couldn’t blame them choosing the name your child would be called for the rest of their life was hard. 

“Yes, his name is Peter Walter-Benjamin Stark.” Tony’s heart stuttered as she spoke his name. He knew that Mary planned on Peter only having his last name but hearing his full name and holding him had made everything all the more real. Peter is here to stay forever. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to add your last name?” Peggy asked for the millionth time. 

“There’s nothing to my last name. At least nothing good.” Mary stated with a sense of finality. The nurse choose to ignore the odd air that had settled and continued on with her writing, mumbling to herself as she wrote his birthday-“August 27, 1992.” 

As the day dragged on they began to get to know their little one, and when skin time came it was a surprise to everyone that Peter liked laying on Tony’s chest more than he had Mary’s but Mary couldn’t find it in herself to care as she watched the two. The love in Tony’s eyes brought a soft smile to Mary’s lips, as he sat with Peter whispering sweet nothings to the sleeping boy who wouldn’t remember them. Happiness unlike anything she’d ever felt before settled heavy in her chest, making her feel weightless. Before long Mary herself was falling asleep content with the knowledge that Tony would be there for anything Peter needed. 

Slowly but surely time passed and before they knew it they were packing up their over full luggage and on their way home with one more eensy sized person. Mary sat in the back with Peter as Tony drove at a snail's pace back to his new home. As they came up to the house a familiar silhouette came into view. It had been some time since Tony last saw the man but there wasn’t a time that he wouldn’t be able to recognize him. Pulling into the parking space designated for the building quickly Tony couldn’t keep the smile from his face as he got out and embraced the man. 

“Jarvis.” He whispered breathlessly, hugging the man tight before pulling away to look at him carefully. “How have you been?” 

“I’ve been well Anthony.” The man spoke with a smile of his own. “I heard that you may be in need of my assistance.” 

“You forget I know you Jarvis, you just want to see the baby.” Tony laughed moving toward the car to help Mary out. 

“I won’t dignify that with a response.” Jarvis mocked as he set about helping Tony with the luggage as Peggy came down the stairs in order to help Mary with Peter. 

“Oh Mary, please let me.” She cut in as Mary tried to carry some of the bags as well as the carseat. 

“Thank you Peggy.” Mary sighed turning to go inside. 

With everyone’s attention solely focused on getting everything inside they failed to notice the paparazzi lining up further down the street, until Peggy stepped back for a moment. As she looked around she caught sight of the wall of people all clamoring for a good look at what was happening. Anger over took her at the sight. 

“Tony,” She called grabbing his attention, “I’m sorry to say but there seems to be an issue with press.” She nodded in the direction of the crowd. 

“Shit.” He cursed. “I figured this would happen but not this quickly. I have a few interviews set up for later this week.” 

“I’ll deal with them for now, you focus on getting this inside okay?” She smiled at him as he nodded and got back to work, they really had over packed for the two day hospital stay. 

“Excuse me,” Peggy waved as she walked up the rambunctious group with a polite smile, putting on her best face. “I’ll have to ask that you leave, the new family wishes to be felt alone for the time being you can understand that, can’t you?” Her words fell on deaf ears as they all began yelling their questions, with a few none too nice allegations thrown into the mix. 

“If you do not leave I will before forced to take action.” Peggy kept her voice under control even as she felt a new anger bubble up within her. The overly aggressive group persisted still. Deciding drastic measures must be taken Peggy made he way back to the house and called the police. Before two officers had pulled up and forced the crowd to disband. 

As she came back to be with the others she noticed Tony had taken up a spot on the couch with Peter nestled under his chin. “Tony.” She scolded. 

“Oh, no Peggy I told him to sit down, he’s been running around all day and I’m tired of not being able to do anything promise. Honestly if I hadn’t put Peter on him I don’t think he’d still be sitting there.” Mary laughed, a happy lift in her voice as she spoke even though the bottle she was holding was giving her trouble she seemed to be enjoying every second of it. 

“This is manipulation.” Tony cried dramatically causing the baby on his chest to make a distraught noise before Tony began soothing him. 

“Shut up and enjoy it.” Mary came up holding the bottle she’d managed to wrangle into submission as Tony moved Peter into a better position for feeding. The two worked together well and as the days passed they got into a groove, with Jarvis’ help they managed to get Peter onto a schedule that worked well for both allowing Mary to continue with school. She had insisted on applying for scholarships instead of relying on Tony to pay for it all as he had suggested. This of course had led to quite the fight but in the end Mary had gotten her way stating that she had already agreed to let Tony pay for the housing and anything Peter needed because he was also his son, but that she wanted to do this on her own. 

This also allowed Tony to continue working, which he did only now he worked remotely from home while his new assistant Pepper did most of the on sight work. He’d also hired a whole team of people for his new security detail with Happy, a man who had worked at SI, as the head of the team. All in all, Tony had stepped up, taking Peter’s care into his hands while Mary worked toward her dreams. It worked for them. It worked so well that before long Mary had gotten an internship with OSCORP helping a research lab, it wasn’t anything big from the sound of it but it had good hours and was something for her to do in order to make her own money. Plus it was the she was looking for, Tony had never understood biochemical engineering but Mary was obsessed. 

Tony of course had been surprised when she’d told him about the job and had been tried to talk her out of it, but she had been stubborn and unwilling to hear anything bad about the company. Even now it was the source of most of their fights but the two managed to keep their cool when Peter was around choosing instead to ignore it. By the end of Peter’s first month everything was wondrously perfect. He was a happy healthy baby boy who absolutely adored his parents and refused to be held by anyone else clinging to Tony anytime Mary wasn’t insight. He was everything the two could have ever asked for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also I saw Far From Home and let me just tell you I never for a second trusted Jake, because honestly who would after Donny Darko? But yeah, still big mad.


End file.
